Northern Ohio Half. PR!!

The second time to the start line at the Northern Ohio...but this time it was for the 1/2.  I had a better night sleep & I was not near as nervous as last year, but it was SO much colder.  I think it was 35 degrees at the 7:30am start.  It's really a interesting start, because it's just after sunrise.  The crowd goes from milling around in the dark to the start gun in first light.  It's like even the sun is ready to run.  Mike joined me this year ~ and even though we have both run a few half marathons, we've never run the same one.  It was fun to be at the start line & get Mike in my pre & post race selfies!  {side note:  Mike ran this with only a few weeks training...and sore knees ~ made the discovery of KT tape ~ and finished in 1:54:47}

I felt SO good the whole race.  My toe/foot thing {woke up in the middle of the night Thursday with the big toe on my right foot throbbing? Then my leg, from the knee down, felt 'funny' Friday and Saturday...} didn't bother me at all.  I took water twice...thanks to the cold weather.  Didn't take any gu's or jells...  I did take a drink of the SPARK 1/2 hour before the race {I've taken that in the last two races, and PR'ed in both}

The biggest mental boost was passing the 20 mile marker & feeling SO good.  Last year at that point, was a whole 'nother story! {there's the difference between the whole & the half!}  Going through Headlands was fun because Madison athletes were manning the water stop...and I didn't feel the need to get in a car & be driven the rest of the way.

Around mile 11-12 I realized that I was going to PR. And I willed myself to get back to under 8 minute miles... didn't quite get there, but it was enough to shave 2:30 off my time.

   New 1/2 marathon PR: 1:44:58

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	1:44:58.1	13.09	8:01
1	7:44.3	1.00	7:44
2	8:05.8	1.00	8:06
3	7:51.8	1.00	7:52
4	8:07.6	1.00	8:08
5	8:00.2	1.00	8:00
6	7:47.8	1.00	7:48
7	8:00.1	1.00	8:00
8	7:52.6	1.00	7:53
9	8:01.6	1.00	8:02
10	8:18.2	1.00	8:18
11	8:12.7	1.00	8:13
12	8:12.6	1.00	8:13
13	8:06.0	1.00	8:06
14	:36.8	0.09	7:11

  

Here's a shot of my bling {first in my age group}

The best was the note from Jacob, which is in the shot, but you can't read it.  He came home from Homecoming & then went back to his buddy's house for the night, so at midnight he left this note wishing us both luck in the run.  He is a great kid.  

Patrick was in his own bed when we left...and was on the road back to UC before we got back home, so that is kinda sad. But he looks good & is happy at UC & excited to head back in his new car.

Final Results:

#1 in age group

#13 female {out of 234}

#63 overall {out of 412}

This is a great little race.  It's organized well, marked well, challenging...makes me want to run it again!